Hyundai produced the Hyundai i20 supermini compact SUV in 2008, following i20’s debut at the Paris Motor Show in October 2007. This front-engined front-wheel-drive hatch is available in five and three-door versions. Hyundai designed the i20 as the successor of the Getz, but both cars sold in the same markets until the phasing out of the latter in 2011.
First Generation (PB 2008-2014)
Thomas Burkle designed the first-generation Hyundai i20, aka Inokom i20. The production run lasted until 2014, with assembly taking place in Izmit, Turkey and Chennai, India. Hyundai used the entirely new Hyundai-Kia PB platform, making it possible for the South Korean automaker to move into the extremely saturated European subcompact B segment.
The i20 makes use of seven four-cylinder engines. Three of these engines are petrol variants, including a 1248 cc DOHC 16-valve Aditeya engine. The remaining four are diesel engines. Two of the diesel engines are variants of the 1396 cc units. The first comes with 55 kW power and 220 Nm torque while the second comes with 66 kW power and 220 Nm torque.
Hyundai added two 1582 cc engines with the same 16-valve top and DOHC architecture. One of the engines delivers 85 kW and 156 Nm while the other delivers 94 kW and 157 Nm. The i20 CRDi diesel engine provides 66 kW and 224 Nm and has a 6-speed manual transmission.
In the Indian market, the i20 came under the name Elite-i-20 and with two engine choices - 1.2L Kappa petrol (59 kW, 114 Nm) and 1.4L Gamma petrol (74 kW, 139 Nm). Both engines worked with a 4-speed automatic transmission.
In Australia, there were two powertrains available: the same 1.4L Gamma petrol engine (74 kW, 139 Nm) offered as standard and a 1.6L Gamma II G4FC petrol provided as an option. The 1.6L engine makes 97 kW and 157 Nm peak power and torque, respectively. By the end of 2011, the 1.6L option was discontinued, leaving the 1.4L variant as the only choice, but coupled with either a 4-speed auto or 5-speed manual transmission system. In 2012, 6-speed manual transmission was introduced, replacing the 5-speed manual variant eventually. This powertrain powered the i20 in Australia, not only for the first generation but the second generation as well.
These were the engines of the first-generation i20 as they appeared in various markets:
- 1.2L Kappa I4 petrol
- 1.25L Kappa I4 petrol
- 1.4L Gamma I4 petrol
- 1.6L Gamma I4 petrol
- 1.1L U-Line CRDi I3 diesel
- 1.4L U-Line CRDi I4 diesel
- 1.6L U-Line CRDi I4 diesel
Second Generation (GB 2014-present)
Automotive designer Casey Hyun designed the second generation of the i20 (aka Hyundai Elite i20 in India). Hyundai builds the present-generation i20 in various assembly plants in Turkey, India, Iran, and Algeria.
As the generation before it, the i20 is available in 3-door and 5-door hatchback body styles. Following the Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 philosophy developed by Hyundai, it now comes with a new exterior and interior design. The ground clearance is higher than before, increasing from 165mm to 170mm. The exterior changes include a newly added black C pillar block and restyled headlights, fog lamps, hexagonal front grille, and wraparound taillights. The interior also saw the addition of a dedicated start/stop button, steering-mounted audio controls, rear AC vents, Bluetooth upgrades, and automatic temperature control. In addition to this, the i20 now sports six airbags, a reverse parking camera, and an antilock braking system.
New engine variants came with the new generation, including several transmissions options, such as 6-speed manual, 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic, 7-speed automatic (dual-clutch), and 6-speed CVT transmissions. The availability of the engines depended on the market. In sum, they are:
- 1.0L Kappa II T-GDI turbocharged I3 petrol
- 1.2L Kappa II I4 petrol
- 1.25L Kappa II I4 petrol
- 1.1L U CRDi I3 diesel
- 1.4L U CRDi I4 diesel
- As mentioned earlier, the first-generation 1.4L Gamma petrol engine, teamed up with either a 4-speed automatic or 6-speed manual gearbox, remained as the powertrain available in Australia.
Facelift
The i20 had a facelift and showed this during the 2018 Auto Expo. The facelift included new rear and front bumpers and a new boot lid which accommodates the rear number plate. New features like an orange exterior colour, new tail lamp design, and restyled alloy wheel design make the i20 more exciting. It also features with a new infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto.
Safety
The Hyundai i20 got a five-star rating from EURO NCAP and got six out of seven points in the Safety Assist category. It received top marks for its electronic stability programme which was praised for reducing the risks of skidding by braking the wheels individually. The i20 is listed as one of the Top 5 Safest Cars for 2009 by EURO NCAP based on their criteria and scoring. The i20 comes equipped with central locking, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing headlamps, rear and front fog lamps, engine immobiliser, and other safety features.
Author: Cyril Nwachukwu